Barbra Streisand has unleashed a firestorm of outrage for saying Michael Jackson’s alleged molestation of boys “didn’t kill them,” and that Jackson’s “sexual needs were his sexual needs.”
Streisand’s controversial statements appeared in an interview with the Times, where she was asked about the Leaving Neverland documentary in which Wade Robson and James Safechuck detail allegations of sexual abuse by Jackson.
The singer and actor said she “absolutely” believes the two men, but when asked how she reconciles the man she knew with the man described in the documentary, she said, “His sexual needs were his sexual needs, coming from whatever childhood he has or whatever DNA he has.”
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Unsurprisingly, her comments ignited a tsunami of outrage and anger online, with many on Twitter accusing her of victim-blaming and being ignorant about the effects of sexual abuse.
In the interview, Streisand went on to explain the “combination of feelings” she has, saying she felt bad for both the victims and Jackson, and blamed the parents for letting their children sleep with him.
Many Twitter users reacted with sheer bewilderment at her insensitivity to potential sexual abuse victims, and even her fans expressed disbelief that she would say such things. Others took a more lighthearted approach to the shocking statements.
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